But since their epic battle, both Stewart and Edwards have struggled a bit. Edwards missed the Chase in 2012 and slumped to 13th in the final standings last year. Stewart finished ninth in points in 2012 before breaking his leg and missing 15 races last year.

If they can stay in the hunt this season, the new elimination-based Chase could favor both drivers, particularly a one-race showdown, which would bring back memories of their spectacular battle in the 2011 season finale.

After a couple of down years, which one will have the best 2014 season?

Bob Pockrass — Tony Stewart

Smoke will rise.

Stewart will not have raced a car for five months before getting back behind the wheel of the No. 14 car in February. Five months might seem like a long time, but Stewart will get back in the car determined to prove he hasn’t lost anything since breaking his leg in a sprint-car crash last year. He also wants to prove that switching from crew chief Steve Addington to Chad Johnston was the right move.

That’s not to say that Stewart is going to win the championship. But he’ll be better than Edwards. He’ll definitely be focused and the feedback from new teammates Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch will help him and his team adapt to the new aero rules. Expect Stewart to finish in the top 10 in 2014. Edwards? Who knows considering his inconsistency the last few years?

Jeff Owens — Carl Edwards

I’m not concerned about Stewart bouncing back from his broken leg. Stewart is the sport’s toughest driver since Dale Earnhardt; a broken leg won’t slow him much.

What could, though, is all that is going on at Stewart-Haas Racing. Not only must Stewart bounce back from injury, but also he has two new drivers, three new crew chiefs and an organization that has expanded from three to four teams, not to mention a high-profile driver struggling to get up to speed in Danica Patrick. That’s a lot of distractions for any driver/owner.

Meanwhile, Edwards seems to be trending back toward the top. Forget that he finished 13th in points last season. That was due mainly to a loose wheel at Dover and a blown engine at Texas, a race he was leading.

That wasn’t the real Carl Edwards. The real Edwards won two races, ran second or third in points most of the season and wound up scoring more points than any driver during the 26-race regular season.

Edwards wasn’t dominant, but he did lead 12 races 524 laps — twice as many as he led in 2012. And he flashed some of the consistency that nearly helped him win the Chase in 2011.

Edwards should be even better in his second season with veteran crew chief Jimmy Fennig. He will be a title contender again and a serious threat in the Chase.